Process of grinding and polishing gear wheels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023278120-A1
Application number	US-202118013011-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 22, 2021
Priority date	Jun 30, 2020
Publication date	Sep 7, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Process of grinding and polishing flank surfaces ( 40 ) of teeth ( 50 ) of toothed wheels ( 60 ), comprising the steps of a) providing a grinding device ( 6 ), a polishing device ( 7 ), a dynamic positioning device ( 8 ) and a toothed wheel ( 60 ); b) having the grinding device ( 6 ) grind the toothed wheel ( 60 ); c) removing the toothed wheel ( 60 ) from the grinding device ( 6 ); d) having the dynamic positioning device ( 8 ) bring the flank surface ( 40 ) in contact with a polishing body ( 80 ) of the polishing device ( 7 ) to polish the flank surface; e) having the dynamic positioning device ( 8 ) dynamically adjust position and attitude of the toothed wheel ( 60 ) relative to the polishing body ( 80 ), or having the dynamic positioning device ( 8 ) dynamically adjust position and attitude of the polishing body ( 80 ) relative to the toothed wheel ( 60 ), such that the flank surface is polished by the polishing body. The dynamic positioning device ( 8 ) may be a robot.

First claim

1 . Process of grinding and polishing a flank surface ( 40 ) of a tooth ( 50 ) of a first toothed wheel ( 60 ), the process comprising the steps, in this sequence, of
a) providing a rotational grinding device ( 6 ) for grinding a first portion and a second portion of a flank surface ( 40 ) of a tooth ( 50 ) of the first toothed wheel ( 60 );
providing a polishing device ( 7 ) comprising a stationary axis ( 31 ) and a polishing body ( 80 ) rotatable about the stationary axis, the polishing body being adapted for polishing flank surfaces of teeth of a toothed wheel; and
providing a dynamic positioning device ( 8 ) for holding a toothed wheel ( 60 ) and for dynamically adjusting position and attitude of the toothed wheel, relative to the stationary axis ( 31 ), during polishing; and
providing a first toothed wheel ( 60 );
b) having the grinding device ( 6 ) grind a first portion and a second portion of a flank surface ( 40 ) of a tooth ( 50 ) of the first toothed wheel ( 60 ); c) removing the first toothed wheel ( 60 ) from the grinding device ( 6 ); d) having the dynamic positioning device ( 8 ) bring the first portion of the flank surface in contact with the rotating polishing body ( 80 ) such that the first portion of the flank surface is polished by the polishing body; e) having the dynamic positioning device ( 8 ) dynamically adjust position and attitude of the first toothed wheel ( 60 ) relative to the stationary axis ( 31 ), such that the second portion of the flank surface is polished by the polishing body.

2 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the polishing device ( 7 ) is a bench grinder.

3 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the flank surface ( 40 ) is polished by the rotating polishing body ( 80 , 81 ), while the grinding device ( 6 ) grinds a portion of a second toothed wheel ( 61 ).

4 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the flank surface ( 40 ) is polished by the rotating polishing body ( 80 , 81 ), while the rotating polishing body ( 80 , 81 ) remains in contact with the first toothed wheel ( 60 ).

5 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the dynamic positioning device ( 8 ) is a software-controlled robot ( 8 ) comprising a plurality of segments ( 90 ) and four, five or six axes ( 100 ) about which the segments can be independently rotated, whereby the position and attitude of the first toothed wheel ( 60 ) are dynamically adjusted by rotating one or more of the axes ( 100 ).

6 . Process according to claim 5 , wherein the robot ( 8 ) comprises a sensor for sensing a force, or a contact pressure, exerted by the polishing body ( 80 , 81 ) on the first toothed wheel ( 60 ), and/or a sensor for sensing a sound, and wherein the robot ( 8 ) dynamically adjusts position and attitude in response to an output of the sensor(s).

7 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the dynamic positioning device ( 8 ) dynamically adjusts position and attitude such that the second portion is polished at a second contact pressure different from a first contact pressure at which the first portion is polished.

8 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the dynamic positioning device ( 8 ) performs step c) of removing the first toothed wheel ( 60 ) from the grinding device ( 6 ).

9 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the polishing body ( 80 , 81 ) comprises a nonwoven material.

10 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the grinding device ( 6 ) is adapted to grind the flank surface ( 40 ) of the tooth ( 50 ) of the first toothed wheel ( 60 ) to a surface roughness Rz of 3.5 micrometers or more, as measured using a stylus method and an inductive skidded probe, using a stylus radius of 5 micrometers and a tip angle of 60° per DIN EN ISO 3274 as in force on 29 Jun. 2020.

11 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the polishing device ( 7 , 17 ) is adapted to polish the flank surface ( 40 ) of the tooth ( 50 ) of the first toothed wheel ( 60 ) to a surface roughness Rz of 1.2 micrometers or less, as measured using a stylus method and an inductive skidded probe, using a stylus radius of 5 micrometers and a tip angle of 60° per DIN EN ISO 3274 as in force on 29 Jun. 2020.

12 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the first toothed wheel ( 60 ) is a gear wheel for use in a gear box of a heavy vehicle, such as a truck, a tractor, a bus, a coach, a railway locomotive or a construction work vehicle or of a wind power generator.

13 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the first toothed wheel ( 60 ) is a gear wheel made of steel or iron.

14 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the first toothed wheel ( 60 ) has a diameter of 100 millimeters or more and/or the first toothed wheel ( 60 ) has a weight of 1000 grams or more and/or wherein the first toothed wheel ( 60 ) has a gear width of 20 millimeters or more and/or wherein the first toothed wheel ( 60 ) is a helical gear wheel.

15 . Process of grinding and polishing a flank surface ( 40 ) of a tooth ( 50 ) of a first toothed wheel ( 60 ), the process comprising the steps, in this sequence, of
a) providing a rotational grinding device ( 6 ) for grinding a first portion and a second portion of a flank surface ( 40 ) of a tooth ( 50 ) of the first toothed wheel ( 60 );
providing a polishing device ( 17 ) comprising a rotatable polishing body ( 81 ) and a dynamic positioning device ( 8 ) for dynamically positioning the rotating polishing body ( 81 ), adapted for polishing flank surfaces ( 40 ) of teeth ( 50 ) of a toothed wheel ( 60 ), and for dynamically adjusting position and attitude of the rotating polishing body ( 81 ) relative to the toothed wheel ( 60 ) during polishing; and
providing a first toothed wheel ( 60 );
b) having the grinding device ( 6 ) grind a first portion and a second portion of a flank surface ( 40 ) of a tooth ( 50 ) of the first toothed wheel ( 60 ); c) removing the first toothed wheel ( 60 ) from the grinding device ( 6 ); d) having the dynamic positioning device ( 8 ) bring the rotating polishing body ( 81 ) in contact with the first portion of the flank surface such that the first portion of the flank surface is polished by the polishing body; e) having the dynamic positioning device ( 8 ) dynamically adjust position and attitude of the rotating polishing body ( 81 ) relative to the first toothed wheel ( 60 ), such that the second portion of the flank surface is polished by the rotating polishing body.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Company

Inventors

• Hechler Juergen
• Rosenau Fynn
• Eberwein Marc

Classifications

• B23F1/02 Primary

  by grinding · CPC title

• B23F19/00 Primary

  Finishing gear teeth by other tools than those used for manufacturing gear teeth · CPC title

• B23F23/1293

  Workpiece heads · CPC title

• B23F23/006

  Equipment for synchronising movement of cutting tool and workpiece, the cutting tool and workpiece not being mechanically coupled · CPC title